HC asks Nilesh Rane to surrender

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday asked former Member of Parliament, Nilesh Rane, son of former Chief Minister Narayan Rane, to surrender to the police before May 23

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday asked former Member of Parliament, Nilesh Rane, son of former Chief Minister Narayan Rane, to surrender to the police before May 23.

Nilesh Rane's lawyer has told the court that he will surrender

Rane has been booked for assault, kidnapping and criminal intimidation by the Chiplun police in Konkan.

Rane was booked along with personal assistant Tushar Panchal, and body guard Manish Singh, for allegedly assaulting and kidnapping taluka president of Congress Sandeep Sawant of Chiplun.

Sawant had not attended the Maratha reservation rally held by Rane in Konkan on April 24 saying his mother was unwell after which he was allegedly assaulted by Rane and his men. He was allegedly kidnapped and taken to Mumbai to Rane’s bungalow.

Advocate Rajendra Shirodkar who appeared for Rane, asked Bombay High Court Justice A S Gadkari, that if Sawant was kidnapped before his wife, then why did she not lodge a complaint immediately on April 25, why was a complaint registered only on April 27 against Rane. He also argued that most of the sections were bailable and his custody was not required, as the investigating officer had completed the investigations.

He also told the Justice that Rane had been to the police station twice. He also said the prosecution had claimed that Sawant was beaten with hockey sticks by Rane and his aides, which was not true, as there was no injury marks on Sawant made by a hockey stick.

‘Terror of the Ranes’Public prosecutor Arfan Sait argued before the court that it was because of the terror of the Rane family, Narayan Rane and sons Nilesh and Nitesh, that they were unable to find any witness to come forward and say that (Nilesh) Rane had pushed Sawant in his car forcefully, and brought him to Mumbai and assaulted him with hockey sticks.